Mapping Block Group Data

.. demographic-economic patterns and characteristics can often be “masked” when using larger geographic areas such as counties and metros. Using data for small area geography such as census tracts and block groups can help identify clusters and areas of interest. Now, demographic-economic data for block groups (217,000 areas averaging 1,200 population covering the U.S. wall-to-wall) are tabulated annually from the American Community Survey (ACS). There are hundreds of subject matter items updated annually. Without specialized tools, it is very difficult to navigate through the maze of small area data that are available and make effective use of these data for analysis and decision-making.

Use the combination of API tools and GIS tools described in this Web section to visually and geospatially analyze demographic-economic characteristics of block groups. Covering the U.S. wall-to-wall and averaging 1,200 population, block groups are the smallest geographic tabulation area for data from the American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates). Block group (BG) data are also available from Census 2010 Summary File 1 (SF1) for the same block group area geography.

Patterns of Median Household Income
— San Francisco, CA by Block Group
Create map views similar to the one shown here for your areas of interest.

… Click graphic for larger view. View developed using CV XE GIS.

Install Tools
There are two software tools involved to create maps such as the one above for any county in the U.S. using block group level data for multiple years, flexibly choosing among more than a thousand subject matter items. Steps to use two tools are described in this Web section. You can perform these operations for any area in the U.S. and use the resulting maps and data in any manner.
• Demographic-Economic Data Extraction (DEDE) API tool
• CV XE GIS software
See the corresponding Web sections above to install the Windows-based software. There is no fee to use these tools to perform operations described here. There are no block group subject matter datasets to download. The steps to use these tools are summarized here.

Get Help Using these Resources
The flexibility and breadth of data selection options afforded by access to thousands of subject matter items from multiple statistical programs requires several steps to use the data in GIS applications. Join us in a Data Analytics Lab session for additional assistance. We can go through/discuss any aspect of steps summarized here. There is no fee for the Data Analytics sessions.

About the Author
— Warren Glimpse is former senior Census Bureau statistician responsible for innovative data access and use operations. He is also the former associate director of the U.S. Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards for data access and use. He has more than 20 years of experience in the private sector developing data resources and tools for integration and analysis of geographic, demographic, economic and business data.

Largest & Fastest Growing Cities

.. new July 1, 2014 Census Bureau model-based estimates for the U.S. 19,509 incorporated cities show a total population of 200,158,492 compared to 192,191,138 as of Census 2010 (an increase of almost 8 million or 4.14 percent). These areas are incorporated cities as recognized by their corresponding state governments and granted certain governmental rights and responsibilities. The increase of almost 8 million in city population reflects a 4.2% increase over the little more than 4 years. The population change includes areas annexed by cities since 2010 and includes some cities that did not exist as of Census 2010. See related Web section for more detail on topics covered here.

Visual Analysis of City/Place Population Dynamics
Use the CV XE GIS software with city/place GIS project to examine characteristics of city/place population, 2010-2014. The following view shows patterns of population percent change, 2010-14, by city in the Charlotte, NC/SC metro area. Create custom maps similar to this map for any city/place/area. Create your own intervals and color patterns. Select from alternative demographic measure. Add your own data.

… view developed using the CV XE GIS software.
… click map for larger view and details including city name.

Using the Interactive Table
Use the interactive table to view, rank, query and compare cities of interest. The following graphic shows North Carolina counties ranked in descending order based on the 2014 population estimate. Use the interactive table to create a similar view for states of interest.

… click graphic for larger view.

View the list of cities with the largest 2014 population by dbl-clicking the header cell “Population 7/1/2014” in the table. Place a state query on the table to select cities in a state of interest and click the header cell “Population 7/1/2014” to view cities in that state ranked by size. Choose other columns to view other relationships.

Examining the Largest Cities
The following sequence of graphics illustrate use of the interactive table to examine characteristics of cities having 2014 population of 100,000 or more. The first step was to set the 2014 population threshold at 100,000 using the tools below the table. Choose your own population threshold (any value). Next, click the Population 2014 header cell to rank these cities in descending order on this measure.

… click graphic for larger view.

To view the largest cities (100,000 or more population in 2014) ranked on population change 2010 to 2014, click the population change header cell. The result is shown in the following graphic.

… click graphic for larger view.

To view the largest cities (100,000 or more population in 2014) ranked on population percent change 2010 to 2014, click the population change header cell. The result is shown in the following graphic.

… click graphic for larger view.

The America’s Communities Program database will updated soon to reflect these updates. Examine the annual population estimates in context with other demographic-economic measures and patterns.

Join us in a Data Analytics Lab Session where we review and discuss use of tools and resources like those covered in this section.

About the Author
— Warren Glimpse is former senior Census Bureau statistician responsible for innovative data access and use operations. He is also the former associate director of the U.S. Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards for data access and use. He has more than 20 years of experience in the private sector developing data resources and tools for integration and analysis of geographic, demographic, economic and business data.

Analyzing County Health Patterns

.. as the population ages, migrates and otherwise changes, health status and healthcare needs change by location, type and in other ways. Data on health status, characteristics and trends continue to become more available, particularly at the county geographic level … but these data are often difficult to locate, integrate and use in a combined manner.

VA Hospitals/Facilities in Context of Urban/Rural Areas
The following graphic illustrates how Veterans Administration hospitals and facilities (red markers) can be viewed in context of urban/rural patterns. Urban areas are shown with orange fill pattern. The Appalachia 405 county area is shown with black bold boundary. Use (GIS) resources to examine additional patterns such as the distribution of veterans by census tract based on the American Community Survey (ACS) data.

— view created using CV XE GIS and associated county health GIS Project
— click graphic for larger view showing details.

County Health Analytics
This section provides an overview of accessing, integrating and analyzing demographic, economic and health data with a focus on county and sub-county geography. Geographic information system (GIS) tools are used to visually and geospatially analyze health-related patterns and characteristics. Applications reviewed here are developed using the CV XE GIS software and associated U.S. national scale health GIS Project. See more detail in the related Web section.

The County Health Patterns GIS project includes data from:
• ProximityOne CountyTrends and Situation & Outlook
… view individual county population & components of change trends
… click county link in this interactive table
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings
• Appalachian Regional Commission economic status
• Other sources. See additional information

Additional ProximityOne ready-to-use shapefiles could be added containing all data from the American Community Survey demographic-economic profiles. The same scope of subject matter, annually updated, is available at the ZIP code, census tract, county and other geography. See related interactive tables (four related web sections) for subject matter details.

The CV XE GIS software is used with the County Health Patterns GIS project to develop views/applications shown below. These views/applications illustrate how the health analytics resources can be used. Select from wide ranging alternative measures.

Patterns of Population Change — %Change 2010-2014 — U.S. by County
The following view shows patterns of %population change 2010-2014 using the CountyTrends layer/dataset.

— view created using CV XE GIS and associated county health GIS Project
— click graphic for larger view showing details.

Site Analysis & Patterns of Population Change
— %Change 2010-2014 — Houston Metro Area
The following view shows patterns of %population change 2010-2014 using the CountyTrends layer/dataset. This view also illustrates use of the Site Analysis tool to aggregate and display population by year 2010 through 2014.

— click graphic for larger view showing details.

Patterns of Population Change
— %Change 2010-2014 — Missouri Area Counties
The following view shows patterns of %population change 2010-2014 using the CountyTrends layer/dataset. This view also illustrates use of the Metros layer to show outlines of Missouri metropolitan statistical areas (bold red/brown boundary). Counties are labeled with the 2014 population estimate.

— click graphic for larger view showing details.

Patterns of Percent Smokers — U.S. by County
The following view shows patterns of percent smokers by county using the County Health Rankings RMD layer/dataset. Choose from a list of wide-ranging health-related subject matter items.

— click graphic for larger view showing details.

Patterns of Food Insecurity — U.S. by County
The following view shows patterns of food insecurity by county using the County Health Rankings AMD layer/dataset. Choose from a list of wide-ranging health-related subject matter items.

— view created using CV XE GIS and associated county health GIS Project
— click graphic for larger view showing details.

Patterns of Food Insecurity — Appalachia Region
The following view shows a zoom-in of the above view.

— click graphic for larger view showing details.

Patterns of Economic Distress — Appalachia Region
The following view shows patterns of economic distress based on an index developed by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Economic characteristics of an area can have a direct impact on health and well-being and access to healthcare resources.

— click graphic for larger view showing details.

An upcoming section will review more detail about analyzing regional health and healthcare issues with drill-down to census tract and other sub-county geography.

Join us in a Data Analytics Web Session where we review and discuss use of tools and resources like those covered in this section.

About the Author
— Warren Glimpse is former senior Census Bureau statistician responsible for innovative data access and use operations. He is also the former associate director of the U.S. Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards for data access and use. He has more than 20 years of experience in the private sector developing data resources and tools for integration and analysis of geographic, demographic, economic and business data.

Analyzing Business Establishment Change by County/ZIP & Industry

.. Harris County, TX (Houston) gained 1,658 business establishments between 2012 and 2013. How did the number and characteristics of business establishments in your counties or region of interest change? These data are available by county (and ZIP code) and can be used to determine which counties (ZIP codes) are experiencing business growth or decline and by how much. See more about this topic in the related Web section.

These data are based on a annual count of business establishments by physical location that have at least one paid employee. A single company may have multiple business establishments. Attributes of individual establishments, including payroll and employment, are summarized/aggregated by county and ZIP code area. The establishment data are also summarized by the NAICS type of business code. See more about these data.

Examine a specific industry such as construction. Among all counties, Harris County, TX had the highest 2013 employment in the construction industry (see more below). Where do your counties/ZIP code areas rank (in this or any other industry)?

The following views illustrate how Geographic Information System (GIS) tools can be used to visually examine change in business patterns. Use the CV XE GIS and associated GIS project to examine establishments, payroll and employment by detailed type of business. These applications shown change for one year; choose a different set of years. Integrate your own data such as market territories or customer/prospect data to examine how business opportunities match up with existing and changing patterns.

Change in Business Establishments, 2012-2013 — Texas by County
The following graphic shows the change in the number of business establishments by county in Texas and adjacent areas. Metros are shown with bold black outlines. Color patterns show change in the number of establishments between 2012 and 2013. It is easy to see which counties have business establishment growth (blue/green) or decline (orange/red). Use the GIS resources to develop similar business patterns views for any state/area in the U.S. The legend at left of map (click graphic for larger view with legend) shows establishment change intervals by color.

  — view created using CV XE GIS and associated GIS Project
— click graphic for larger view showing details.

Change in Business Establishments, 2012-2013 — Houston Area
The following graphic shows the change in the number of business establishments by county with a zoom-in view of the Houston area. Use the GIS resources to zoom in to any county/region of the U.S. The legend at left of map (click graphic for larger view with legend) shows establishment change intervals by color. Counties are labeled with county name and percent change in the number of establishments between 2012 and 2013.

  — view created using CV XE GIS and associated GIS Project
— click graphic for larger view showing details.

Profile of County Business Establishment Change
The following table shows a basic overview of the change. There is much more detail available. The GIS project enables mixing demographic with economic and business data.

Database Queries:
Counties with Highest Employment in Construction Industry
Consider a requirement to determine the list of 10 counties having the highest employment in the construction industry. The 2.1 million record database with county by type of business is opened with the CV XE GIS dBrowse operation/feature. Note that this database size exceeds the Excel limit. A query is placed on the database to show on NAICS (type of business) code “23—-” having number of 2013 employment of 10,000 or more. The query could have been any NAICS code in combination with another attribute or none. The table is then sorted in descending order on 2013 employment (by clicking the sort button). The resulting records/counties are displayed as shown. The county FIPS code 201 in state FIPS code 48 (Harris County) has the highest total construction industry employment in the U.S. It is easy to see the other top 10 (or some group) that are also highly ranked. The Count operation is used to shown how many counties meet this criteria; there are 118. Other selected attributes are shown in the table/graphic. This selection could optionally be exported to a file in a different format (e.g., CSV).

An upcoming section will review linking business establishment data with demographic data.

About the Author
— Warren Glimpse is former senior Census Bureau statistician responsible for innovative data access and use operations. He is also the former associate director of the U.S. Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards for data access and use. He has more than 20 years of experience in the private sector developing data resources and tools for integration and analysis of geographic, demographic, economic and business data.

County Population & Components of Change Trends

.. new/updated annual county population estimates … counties, and county equivalent areas such as independent cities, are the primary political subdivision of states.  The relative stable geography of counties, with good national scope geographic granularity, makes these areas appealing for use in tabulating data as well as analyzing data. This section provides information on tools and data related to accessing, integrating analyzing county demographic-economic patterns and trends focused on the latest official county population and components of change estimates (through 2014, released March 2015). See related Web page for more details.

Using GIS Tools to Examine Patterns of Population & Change
The following view illustrates use of Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to visually examine demographic characteristics of Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC MSA region by county. The thematic/color pattern shows percent population change 2010-2014. Labels show county 2014 population. Develop this type of view for any metro or region.

— view created using CV XE GIS and associated CountyTrends GIS Project
— click graphic for larger view showing details.

See the Metro Profile for this metro. See more about metros. Click on a metro link in the in the metro interactive table to view a similarly structured profile for any metro.

Population Components of Change
Annual population and components of change estimates for each county, 2010 though 2014, are included in the dataset used in the create the map shown above. Similar thematic pattern maps can be generated for any county/region for any of these items, or computed items such as birth rate.

Population components of change are shown in the population identity:
P[i,t] = P[i,t-1] + B[i,t] – D[i,t] + MD[i,t] +MI[i,t]
for the ith geographic area; t: year
where the components of population change are:
  – B[i,t] … births in area i in year t
  – D[i,t] … deaths in area i in year t
  – MD[i,t] … domestic migration in area i in year t
  – MI[i,t] … international migration in area i in year t

County Population & Components of Change Interactive Table
Use the interactive table in the related Web section to interactively view, rank, compare annual population and population components of change for all states and 3,143 counties. For counties that are part of a metropolitan area, the table includes the new and previous metro (CBSA) codes.

The following graphic illustrates use of the interactive table. A query is used to view only those counties in the Charlotte metro. These rows/records are then sorted (dbl-click column header) on the Census 2010 population. It can be seen from the table that Mecklendurg County has the largest Census 2010 population (919,628) and the metro Census 2010 total population is 2,217,012.

— click graphic for larger view showing details.

Examining Characteristics of Individual Counties
Click on the Mecklenburg County link in the interactive table to view an extended profile for the county (available for any county) as shown below.

— click graphic for larger view showing details.

Use the interactive table and click on a county link to view a similar profile for county(s) of interest.

About the Author
— Warren Glimpse is former senior Census Bureau statistician responsible for innovative data access and use operations. He is also the former associate director of the U.S. Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards for data access and use. He has more than 20 years of experience in the private sector developing data resources and tools for integration and analysis of geographic, demographic, economic and business data.